My daughter will turn 5 in May and I am trying to decid what is the best program to start her on. I have looked at the online academies/schools and have talked to several mothers who say "just pick the curriculum that best suits your child". Quite frankly I have no idea what would best suit her. I like the idea of getting the curriculum and the lesson plans all put together but I don't know if it's worth the cost. I am intimidated and confused. Can someone please offer me a little more constructive advice than "pick what fits your child best". Thank you! One more thing, is it important that she be a part of a program that is accredited? Does it matter mor the older she gets?

I am planning to begin homeschooling my children in the fall, and this book was very helpful to me. 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
It helped me figure out my boys' learning styles and which curriculums would best fit those styles which has narrowed down my choices.
I don't think the accredited part is as important with a younger child, but you will need to ask someone who has actually been homeschooling for a while to be sure.

Accredidation all depends on the requirments for your state. You can get one of the "everything your child needs to know in (grade)" books. THey are helpful if you don't find a curriculum that you like, you can make your own._________________Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Picking for the first time can be very hard! If you are like me, then you want something that is all laid out and you are told exactly what to do everyday.
Good choices that I have used in the past are Sonlight, Alpha Omega Lifepacs, and Bob Jones. There are others that are also good: Winter Promise, Konos.
If you like the idea of reading a lot of "real" books to your child, then try Sonlight or WinterPromise. If you want hands-on, look at Konos. If you want tradtional textbook, look at Bob Jones. Or if you like workbooks, try Alpha Omega. (One benefit to Alpha Omega is you can order just one workbook to try out the program without going into a lot of expense.)
I found that not only did I have to determine my children's styles (100 Top Picks by Cathy Duffy is great!) but I really had to consider what my style was, too! Even though I love the idea of a hands-on program, I know with my personality it would never get done around here. I've been homeschooling for 6 years now and I tend to change what we use every two years or so, so you don't need to feel locked into one way or one curriculum.
Hope that helps, Alisa

These have been really useful tips, thank you for taking the time to give me some direction. I deffinitely feel more confident knowing that other people know how I feel. Especially the first time I want to have things laid out for me so I know what to do everyday, I'm just not comfortable with the thought of me having to decide everyday. I'm afraid I won't get it done or it won't be enough, so thank you for the tips. I am open to anymore that anyone wants to offer!

I too am doing this for the first time this fall and I was very scared of the idea of coming up with stuff daily. I went ahead and got the Alpha Omega lifepac and I have gone through them already and now I am reassured that I can do this. It seems easy enough and it lets my dd go at her own pace, which was one of the main reason I am wanting to homeschool in the first place.
Good luck on choosing, I know how tough it is.

I'm almost done with Benjamin's 2nd grade, not that I'm, an expert, but we've been at this since Kindergarten. This is how we keep track of what we need to do in the kitchen table part of our day: I've made a pocket chart out of two pieces of poster board. One I cut into strips and attached with staples where I could reach, and brads where I couldn't. Then I labled 3x5 cards with each daily assignment: practice occarina, write out ayers list words, write a sentence, do 2 math pages, read a book to Mom, ect. Each morining we pray, then arrange the cards in the bottom strip. If I know that we have errands, co-op, or a field trip, I put out fewer cards. When we complete the assignment, we move the card up to the done pocket. If we don't get everything done, then I see the cards left over from yesterday, and we do those things first the next day. This helps Ben to know how much longer "school' will be, since he is shaky on the clock still, and I don't get discouraged with constant,' are we done yet Mom?" It also gives us a feeling of acomplishement when we see those cards in the done row.

This doesn't help you choose what to buy of course, but an acountability/celebration chart is one way to know you are doing something.

Do you have homeschooling friends? Drop by their house and see what they use, especially if they have kids that seem like personality twins to yours. Many families will start putting bags of used homeschooling goodies in your car when you aren't looking once they know you are starting out - old Lauri puzzles have to make way for microscopes sometime!

You can also experiment this summer to see what sort of lessons click with your students. When the neighborhood kids get bored, they might let you experiment on them too.

Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject: Doesn't have to be so confusing!

I'll agree that choosing curriculum can be confusing. But it doesn't have to be that way. You need a simple guidebook that will help you sort things out. There are three basic methods, to start with - structured with the full set of books and teacher's manuals, unschooling where the child pretty much learns what he wants, and a watershed group of the rest of us who plan schooling and then get whatever materials we need. This last method is not as hard as it might seem. I have free articles at my site that help in planning which is the very most important step in homeschooling this way._________________Lorraine Curry
FREE homeschooling ebooks, copywork and more!
http://www.easyhomeschooling.com